India: Tobacco Board Fixes Crop Size for Karnataka

Source from:  Times of India 04/19/2017

　　Slowly reviving the market mood, the Indian Tobacco Board has fixed the crop size of Karnataka for 2017-18 at 99 million kgs. This is slight increase of 4 million kgs from the crop size of previous year.

　　The board governing council chaired by in-charge chairman and executive director T Venkatesh met in Bangalore on Monday and finalised the crop size for Karnataka. "We have taken the international market conditions and local demands into consideration to fix the crop size," said the chairman Venkatesh. Board observed that studies have shown that no other alternative crop cultivated by the farmers fetched the revenues that FCV offered in the last few years. "FCV tobacco gave decent returns to the farmers in the recent drought years and hence decided to marginally increase the crop size keeping in view of the farmers' interests," said board chairman.

　　Interestingly, the crop size of AP was also increased during the last season by 10 mkg over the previous year. The crop size which was cut down to 120 mkg in AP following severe price crisis during 2015-16 was upped to 130 mkg during 2016-17 season. AP's crop size for 2017-18 will be fixed after completion of Karnataka auctions around June.

　　The Board also resolved to limit the horizontal expansion of tobacco and instructed that no new barns shall be allowed to be constructed.

　　Following the decision of the Union government, the Board also decided not to allow shifting of barns during 2017-18 Karnataka crop season. As the tobacco transplantations are fast approaching and the fertiliser deliveries are to be made to growers starting from May first week. Board resolved to commence the registration process for 2017-18 Karnataka from the last week of April, 2017, while authorising the chairman to issue the guidelines for registration or renewal of registration on the similar lines of last year.

　　Meanwhile, board elected grower member from Periayapatna region of Karnataka, P. V. Basavarajappa, as the vice chairman of the Tobacco Board for one year. The post of board vice-chairman is shared among the grower and merchant members from AP and Karnataka.

　　Board member and MP Gokaraju Gangaraju, Director (Export promotion in agriculture ministry, New Delhi), N Ramesh, CTRI director Dr Damodar Reddy, farmers members Balineni Seethaiah, G Satyanarayana, Kiran Kumar, Basavarajappa, merchants member Krishna Kumar Mishra, senior officials of board SS Patnaik and BB Chowdhury were present at the meeting. Enditem